• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Doubler/Booster Recommendation Please (1 Viewer)

Q

quincy88

Well-known member
Hello All,

I just bought 15x56 SLCs. They are so good. I’ll write about them in a few weeks.

Can anybody recommend a doubler/booster for these? Searching the internet I have found that Vortex and Opticron make doublers that slip over the eyepieces. Anybody have experience with either of these models? Is one better than the other?

I like the idea of the Opticron adapter ring system. Does anybody know the correct size or product number of Opticron ring for my new SLCs?

I really like the idea of the screw-on style Swarovski used to make, but have read that they don’t work with the new SLCs. Is that true? If they do work, does anybody know where I can get one?

I’m going to buy one of these soon so recommendations are greatly appreciated. I understand that there are considerable optical weaknesses to this system, but I am going to try it out anyway.

-as you were, q
 
quincy88,

"I really like the idea of the screw-on style Swarovski used to make, but have read that they don’t work with the new SLCs. Is that true?"

Yes that is true, when I procured the 15X SLC I realized that if I wanted more mag, I would just use a binocular with more mag, I almost exclusively use the SLC handheld under the night sky, not really much for terrestrial, so no need for a booster.

Let us know what you come up with.

Andy W.
 
quincy88, post 1,
When you have access to a good mechanical workshop you can let them make a simple adapter that fits on the one side the screw mount of the eyecups and on the other side the screw mount of the Swarovski doubler. I have done that before for the 8x30 SLC's and it works fine.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Opticron have numerous adapters.

If Opticron U.K. are contacted they will know if there is a stock adapter.

I have the old 2.5x booster. The newer 2x is supposedly better.
 
I have a screw in Swarovski 2x Booster for my SLC 7x42 B. You unscrew the eyepiece and replace it with the Booster. It also came with 1 adaptor ring for the 10x42 SLC. There is another adaptor ring included for the EL-32/Booster.

The Booster works on the SLC 7x42, SLC 7/8/10 x 50 and SLC 8x56. It won't work on a 15x SLC.

The instruction sheet dated 8/2004 says: "The Swarovski Booster functions with all EL and SLC models, except SLC 8x30 WB." "With earlier models it is necessary to replace the twist-in eye cups."

It gives the lowest number SNs that it will work on and states that Swarovski will send new twist in eye cups to replace those that are too old, free of charge.

Bob
 
Last edited:
quincy88,
Kite also has a nice booster with different adapters for different sizes of eyepieces. It does not have any mount but just fits over the eyecup. It works fairly well.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
The Vortex and Kite doublers are supplied by the same factory that made our now discontinued 2.5x UTA. Vortex says theirs fit 40-43mm diameter eyecups and Kite's Standard adapter ring would appear to be the same.

If the eyecups on the 56mm SLCs are the same as on the 42mm models, then the following adapter ring should work (40mm internal diameter):

SLC 8/10x42 - 40944 eyecup down

That info from this thread - https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=328450

HTH

Cheers, Pete
 
Thanks, Pete,

Interesting to learn that the Vortex and Kite doublers are made by the same people.

For the Opticron ring sizing, I had seen that thread but was unable to respond to it because it had been established too long ago. I appreciate you bringing it to the forefront here. Does anybody know if the 42 SLCs do indeed have the same size eyepieces as the 56s? I noticed in the user manual that the 56s have an additional click stop (or maybe vice versa), so I know they are not identical.

Can you speak to the improvements to the Opticron doubler with this new iteration?

-as you were, q
 
Given the many years between the development of the 2.5x and the 2x, there are significant improvements in the performance of the optical coatings and that combined with a much larger eye lens and the lower magnification delivers much better light transmission. Eye relief is also more generous.

When we got the first samples of the new model, my initial reaction was essentially "Wow, finally we have a doubler that actually works"...

HTH

Cheers, Pete
 
Dd61999

I can only comment on a Swarovski booster that I use with my 2004 ELs. It works beautifully. At one time I had two boosters and converted my 8.5 bins into 17 power bins, and this also worked very well. I don't believe that my booster will work on more modern bins.

Jeff
 
The ones with phase correction work just fine. After all they're nothing but simple very low power monoculars. Try looking directly through one and you'll see how good the image at full aperture is. Then the optics improve when they are used as boosters since only a central low aberration part of the booster's aperture equal to the exit pupil of the binocular in front is actually used. When the boosted image is poor you can be pretty sure the problem is in the binocular, not the booster. Not many binoculars have low enough aberrations to tolerate a 2-3x increase in magnification.
 
Ed, post 14,
No the small 3x12 monocular is not the same as the 6x monocular and, as far as I know, the 3x was presented by Zeiss especially as a booster, although it can of course also be used as a monocular by itself.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Ed, in addition to my post 15:
Zeiss writes in its 2017-2018 catalogue on page 28 a number of monos: 3x12, 4x12, 6x18, 8x20, 10x25 and the Miniquick 5x10. They are all supplied with Schmidt-Pechan roof prisms and achromat lenses.
Text written at the 3x12: "The 3x12 is a powerful mini-monocular with triple magnification. It can turn Victory (not the SF!) and Conquest binoculars with a lens diameter of 30 mm into a high performance spotting scope in the blink of an eye. The Mono can be quickly fixed onto the eyepiece using an adapter ring. On its own it can serve as a magnifying glass at close range"
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Thanks, Henry,
That's a great review. I appreciate you bringing that to my attention. Pretty interesting that the magnification is so variable depending on the focal point. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a good deal on one of those. It sounds pretty fun with or without binoculars to boost.

Gijs Van Ginkel
I think Ed is saying that a "3x doubler" would be double the 3x magnification or a 6x booster. I think he's being clever, but I am not sure. Ed, can you speak to that? Anyway, I understood what you were talking about and appreciate the recommendation.

-as you were, q
 
Last edited:
quincy88 said:
Thanks, Henry,
That's a great review. I appreciate you bringing that to my attention. Pretty interesting that the magnification is so variable depending on the focal point. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a good deal on one of those. It sounds pretty fun with or without binoculars to boost.

Gijs Van Ginkel
I think Ed is saying that a "3x doubler" would be double the 3x magnification or a 6x booster. I think he's being clever, but I am not sure. Ed, can you speak to that? Anyway, I understood what you were talking about and appreciate the recommendation.

-as you were, q
Click to expand...

Too clever by half. ;)

Ed
 
Haha. Lovin the levity.
Speaking of clever, the other day I used my 7x42 binoculars as a reducer on my 8x42 binoculars by putting them objective to objective. The result was a very long 8/7x28mm (or so). Pretty strange view because the magnification is so slight it essentially moves your unaided eyeballs a foot outside your head. Kinda fun and totally useless.
-as you were, q
 
Warning! This thread is more than 5 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

yarrellii
IS x2 (...and other amazing things IS)
Replies
5
Views
801
wllmspd
W
hopster
Recommendations for a binocular harness
2
Replies
21
Views
3K
chill6x6
chill6x6
chill6x6
SFL vs. Aurora...
Replies
6
Views
1K
chill6x6
chill6x6
yarrellii
Just how good is the 8x32 Opticron Verano BGA VHD? (Comparisons)
2
Replies
24
Views
3K
Upland
U
hopster
Meopta 2x double for Meostars - still available?
Replies
4
Views
1K
ORKen
O

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top